Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka - Reshelved Books

Before we need this year I'm going to squeeze in one last review!
Using the cover of the book provided by Amazon!!

Then I would like to pose a question to everyone: 
Do y'all like it better when YA book reviews are posted to the blog? Or do y'all like it better when we post adult fiction/non-fiction book reviews to the blog? 

I think that the answer to this question is YA book reviews but I'm not entirely sure...
I'm also not asking for the sake of this review, which happens to be YA, but out of curiosity.

Today's review will be on Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka! 

I stumbled upon this book by chance in Barnes and Noble a couple weeks ago.  You know how it goes, you find a book on the shelf and you find the cover art to be pretty.  So you go and buy it and the result is that you're either happy with what you've purchased or you find it be just okay.

The story focuses on main character, Megan Harper, her trails and tribulations in being the lead in her school's production of Romeo and Juliet and figuring out whether she's "more Juliet or more of a Rosaline".

I'm gonna cut to the chase here: I found the book to be boring.  It was about Megan having to practice her acting, finding out that her father and her step mom plan on moving to another state, and her blossoming friendship with Owen. 

The book didn't pick up until the last 1/2.  When Megan found out her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend.  When her mother tells her that she's going to be staying for the birth of her new half sister.  Megan and Will also start to date. 

My overall feelings on this book? It's okay.  It's nothing to write home about.  I found it weird that Buzzfeed declared that the main character was "empowered"! But the girl is 17!! How could she possibly be empowering??  

I was talking to a girl that I work with and she said that sometimes YA authors write books seemingly forgetting that their target audience is teens and that these characters act very mature.  Some of the behaviors that Megan acted on, were too strong and some of the ways that she said things were also too strong.  (I thought that this behavior in an adult would be more "empowering" than it was in a 17 year old).

My final thoughts? 

Sad to say that this book wasn't worth it for me.  I didn't find the story to be all that great.  I feel a little unclear on what actually Megan was trying to learn or accomplish.  Yes, I get that having her be an actor in the play was to help her character "grow" but I didn't find there to be much character growth.  Yes, she had a fight with her best friend and she learned that she was lied to.  Yes, she got her chance with Will, where she saw that he went to spend time with Alyssa and not go to the Senior Showcase like he said he would. (I would like to point out that this doesn't work with the hypothesis that Megan is the girl all guys date before they find their girlfriends.  I don't think anyone would reason having a girlfriend in someone like this Alyssa character).

I give Always Never Yours 3 coffee beans out of 5. 

- Jillian

Jessica's Top 5 of 2019

Jillian posted her top 5 of 2019 book choices yesterday.  If you haven’t read her post, make sure you do! She had some great suggestions.  Below are my top 5 choices for 2019. Not all have a stand alone For the Love of Dewey Review, but since not all of Jillian's do either, I don’t feel as guilty. 


A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler: I just finished this novel yesterday! Whoo hoo!!  It’s my 142nd book read this year! This book is to be published in February of 2020, so make sure you write this title down on your to-read list!  It is about first love, race, and family secrets, and is extremely well done.   


The novel is about a new Caucasian family who is the new backyard neighbor of an African American mother and her mixed son.  The Caucasian family is rich. They have not only knocked down their house and rebuilt it but also put in a large pool and fence, which has disturbed the roots of an old tree in their neighbor’s yard.  A lawsuit begins, followed by a forbidden romance between the son and the neighbor’s eldest daughter that has no chance of ending well.  


The narrator makes the reader feel like they are looking in on these two suburban families and getting a special view of secrets they're not supposed to see but that go on around us everyday.


Verity by Colleen Hoover:  I don’t know why I didn’t write a review for Hoover’s first thriller, but I should have.  Verity is absolutely gripping and entirely different from what Hoover normally writes.  This novel is about a novelist named Verity who was permanently injured in a car accident.  She can’t continue writing her series, so her husband picks a lesser known author named Lowen to stay in the home amongst Verity’s notes and continue the series for her.  But Lowen begins to suspect that Verity wasn’t who she claimed to be and that EVERYTHING including the present may be a lie. 


Stargazing at Noon by Amanda Torroni: Stargazing at Noon is an amazing poetry collection by Amanda Torroni. It made me cry on my lunch break at work. 


I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella:  If you’re searching for a book that will make you literally LOL and look crazy in front of strangers this book is for you! It was hilarious and is also the one book here that I actually wrote a real For the Love of Dewey Review for that you can view here


Educated by Tara Westover: I decided I wanted to read Educated after I watched a clip of Westover speaking on Ellen.  I decided to opt for the audiobook and was so glad I did.  Westover’s narration of her own story is everything I hoped for and more.  I did not want to get out of my car and it left me with an audiobook hangover. 


Now as for the new year, I’m starting 2020 with The Wives by Tarryn Fischer, a thriller about a woman who knows her husband has two additional wives hse has never met before. Creepy, right?


 What are you reading?

~Jessica

Monday, December 30, 2019

Jillian's Top Five 5 Coffee Bean Books for 2019

I hope this post finds everyone in good health!

There is a new year about to begin- 2020! Hopefully this year holds the same outlook that 20/20 vision hold. 

This is going to be a quick post but I wanted to highlight the five books that I've read this year that I will happily recommend to anyone who asks!

This says a lot  considering most of the books that I've read this year haven't done anything for me. 

These five books are listed in no particular order...
Image result for one day in december
1. One Day in December by Josie Silver (review here) - This book was the first book that I reviewed this year incidentally and I want to say that I think it was the first book I read that was part of Reese Witherspoon's book club.   Why did I like this book? 
Well.  I liked the story line.  I liked that these two characters felt instantly drawn to one another but that the timing was never right.  It showed that even after all of life's even happen, the universe can still pull two people together.  

2. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou (no review posted) - This was book that I did the review for in APRIL but I just realized today that I never posted it! What the heck! With that, I must say that I'm sorry!  This book was really quite awesome.  I'm not for non-fiction books but this one was something that was really VERY interesting!  The events that transpired with Theranos were rather unbelievable.  It was hard to think that someone could dupe everyone for that long and almost nearly get away with it.  I would highly highly recommend this book.

3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (review here) -  This book was one of the most requested books at the library this year by far.  Up until a few months ago, there were easily still 300 people waiting for a copy of it. (And I work in a smaller library system; ideally, the wait time wouldn't that bad because of how copies are available).  The book came out in 2018, which make the hype surrounding it even more crazy.  This book is a mystery with an ending that you might find surprising.  I like that the story took a turn in a way that I didn't think it would.  I've heard from a patron that the audiobook was very very good because of the way it was told.  

The Last Letter by [Yarros, Rebecca]4. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros (review here) -  It's not often that a book makes me cry but this book made me cry.  It was that good.  It was a book that was packed with a lot of emotions.  It flips between letters between Chaos and Ella; and then interactions between Ella and Beckett.  It takes time but as a reader, you hope that Beckett doesn't tell Ella that he's Chaos because of amount of distrust that it would cause.  I, personally, was pulling for Beckett the whole time!

What Happens in Paradise by [Hilderbrand, Elin]5. What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (review here) -  I feel like this book might have some mixed reviews behind it.  I enjoyed it but I know that Jessica liked it enough but it wasn't her favorite.  I think that my favorite part about this book were the journal entries from Rosie's diaries.  I liked hearing about her times with Russ.  I didn't care for Baker- I thought that he was annoying and selfish but all in all, this is a book that I would recommend.  I know that it's the second book in the series but it's one that can be read without having read the first. 


What were some of your favorite books from the last year? 
Did you find this year to be hard pressed for good books or did you feel that most of what released was great? 

See ya in 2020!

- Jillian

**All book cover photos are from the Amazon.  You can find the images that were copied when you click on the book title in this post**

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

December has been an absolute whirlwind, but we are back to posting (somewhat regularly)and are excited for all the great reads 2020 will hold!  This year I plan on reading slower and more purposefully, which will hopefully also mean more book reviews coming your way!

I was super excited to get my hands on a copy of Colleen Hoover's latest novel, Regretting You that was published this month.  Usually I finish a Hoover novel in just a few days, so I was really surprised when this book took me almost nine days to finish reading. That's right.  NINE DAYS.

The novel opens with the story of two couples.  Morgan and her sister are dating two boys who are best friends.  They all get along, but we get the feeling that the couples would be more compatible if they switched partners.  Then Morgan finds out she's pregnant.  At 17 she ends up marrying her boyfriend and they have a life together for the next 15 years raising a daughter named Clara.  That is until Morgan's  husband dies in a car accident with her sister.  A car accident that logically shouldn't have happened because her sister was supposed to be at work.

The novel flips between the perspective of Morgan and her daughter Clara who is struggling with grief, first love, and her relationship with her mother.  While I enjoyed the novel, I didn't feel as immersed and invested in the characters lives like I usually do with Hoover's work.  The book turned out to be just okay for me, thus making give the rating 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

See you in 2020!

~Jessica 

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes- Reshelved Book

It's said that honesty is the best policy.  So, if we're being honest, I'm going to say that I was hesitant about reading this book at first.

I had no idea at the time that there is quite the controversy surrounding The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. I'm not going to into the controversy there, it's not my place.  It's something that you're able to google and find articles on.  In a nutshell, it's been said that there are striking similarities between The Giver of Stars and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek- paragraphs and characters and events are almost verbatim.  Which, if that's the case, is rather crumby... And I apologize to the author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek if there are great similarities because again, this is a crumby situation to be in. (and had I know this, I would have borrowed the book from the library and I wouldn't have gone out and bought a copy).

The first thing that I noticed about the book was it was very descriptive.  It was very easy to put Moyes' words into pictures.

Aside from noticing that the prologue was focused on Margery’s experience with Clem McCculough. I only mention this because a lot of the book focused on Alice Van Cleve’s character. Yes, Margery was a large character but I wouldn’t go on to say that she was much as a main character as Alice. The other women: Beth, Izzy, Sophia and Mrs. Brady, seemed to be all minor. (But I will say about half way through the book, the prologue makes sense)

Needless to say, I was hooked. I couldn’t put the book down for much. I found myself wishing I could past certain sections faster because I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen. Any book that makes the reader want to keep the page turning, is a good book to me.  (I was terrified for Margery. She became the character that I was hoping everything turned out well for).

On thing I didn’t like about this book was the ending! It was so goofy! I didn’t think that the futures of all the characters had to laid out. As much as I liked Sophia as a character, did I need to know how she lived out her life after the library? No. Did I know about Beth? No I didn’t (and this is a small spoiler: Beth’s future with who she ended up marrying, didn’t even make sense!). As I said to MB, it felt like the ending of the book and the body of the book were authored by two different people. That, or it felt like it was thrown together haphazardly. 

Even before that, once the trail ended; you could tell the ending was gonna take a much different approach. Even Fred’s character changes. He went from being a well mannered and minded guy, into someone who ultimately surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, I was rooting for Fred and Alice but the way that their relationship progressed. It could have been a little different? 

I have so much guilt toward this book! I really really enjoyed it. But for it to have been the works of something that was plagiarized?? Gah. 

If you’re interested in reading this book, I would definitely say to get your name on the list for it at your local library. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it. Just because of the possibility behind it. (And that’s not far to the author of The Book Woman it Troublesome Creek, if true). 

I give The Giver of Stars 4 coffee beans out of 5. 

- Jillian

Saturday, December 14, 2019

We are the Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan- Reshelved Books

Are you all ready for a YA review? 

I hope so!


Has anyone ever been in that position where you like this person (as does your best friend) and you feel that your best friend (or even a friend) would be a better fit for that person you like.  So, you do everything in your power to help get them with that person, all the while, you're getting closer to that person and it's starting to get harder to suppress the feelings that you have.  These feeling, of course, are getting more and more intense; which is only adding insult to injury. 


We are the Perfect Girl is about 17 year old Aphra Brown and her friend Bethany Newman and how when they join forces, they essentially create "the perfect girl".  


 Aphra and Bethany are TOTAL OPPOSITES; Aphra is loud and outspoken, witty and full of sass.  Bethany is quiet and timid, hesitant and beautiful.  This is how Aphra sees everything. 

At the beginning of the book, I didn't believe that Bethany was someone who was rather quiet and kept to herself.  

Bethany likes this guy named Greg.  Greg is like the total high school junior package.  He's very good looking, he's on the swim team, he's super smart and super linguistic.  Bethany is very taken with Greg but the problem is that she's shy! She can't bring herself to talk to anyone.  To help Bethany, Aphra tries coaching Bethany with what to say to Greg. 

While Aphra is trying to help Bethany get the guy; Aphra is working on her app for her computer class, which is slowly becoming a flop.  The coding for her app, isn't yielding the results that she was hoping for.  In an effort to save her project (which was 35% of her grade), Aphra starts to answer the anonymous advice seeker.  Before she knows it, Aphra is getting attached to this anonymous chatter and she quickly puts the pieces together and discovers that she's been chatting with Greg.

For as much as I wanted to get annoyed with Aphra's character, I knew that I couldn't.  At the end of the day, she's very relatable.  She's a junior in high school, she's the middle child, she's on crew, she likes the same guy her best friend does.  Not only that but she doesn't think she's pretty.  Her nose is the elephant in the room for her.  She feels that it's nose better fit for a man. 

As crazy as it sounds, Aphra's nose is a topic that comes up quite frequently in the book.  Aphra's addresses that her and her sister looked identical to each other before she had her surgery.  She also went on to change her hair and that really made sure they didn't look alike any longer.  (I can see how that would hurt someone.)  It's an issue that Aphra had such a strong reaction to, that she ends up having to see a therapist. 

Adding to her dimension, she's also a funny character.  I found myself laughing out loud a lot.  The beginning scene in the book was hilarious.  A floating "chicken cutlet" in the pool, is pretty funny.  

But I'm telling you, how the beginning of the book is laid out, makes you feel like Bethany is the outspoken one and that Aphra is the introvert.  

All of this being said... I give this book 4 coffee beans out of 5. 

- Jillian

Thursday, December 12, 2019

What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand- Battle of the Book

As one could guess by the title of this post, I'm bringing back the Battle of the Book!!
I just found out from Jessica what her stance on the book was and I think that warrants the different opinions on the same title.  

Why not at least make it fun to blog, you know?


What Happens in Paradise is the second book in the Paradise series by Elin Hilderbrand.  The first book in the series is Winter in Paradise.  This series is marked as being a trilogy but it seems that the second book has the flexibility of almost being a standalone novel.  You're able to read this book if you haven't read the first one- you'll be able to understand what's presented and you won't feel like you're missing anything. 

The first book in the series is Winter in Paradise.  This series is marked as being a trilogy but it seems that the second book has the flexibility of almost being a standalone novel.  You're able to read this book if you haven't read the first one- you'll be able to understand what's presented and you won't feel like you're missing anything. 

Starting back in Iowa, the reader catches up with Cash and Irene.  Cash wakes up in his mother's house, jobless and Irene is starting to make notification about Russ's death.  

While Baker is in Texas coming to terms with Anna's request to file for divorce. 


In a strange twist of fate, these three Steele’s find themselves back down in St. John’s as a way to heal. 

Cash picks up a job with Ayers on the boat giving tours and Irene helps out Huck by going to work on his fishing boat. Baker’s reason to be down there seems a little far fetched for me but if it works, it works. 

While there was some soul searching being done at Little Cinnamon, there was some searching that Ayers was doing on her own. 

Ayers was given the opportunity to help with Rosie’s belongings. In doing so, Ayers stumbles upon diaries that had been kept by Rosie, from the time that she 18 until when she died. Rosie didn’t write down everything that happened everyday but she wrote down some major and pivotal events. 

What Ayers learns turns everything upside down. 

There are more twists and turn in this book than in the first one but I liked this one more.  I say that because I liked reading Rosie's journal entries.  I liked the complexities of Russ's life and finding things out. 

There's one character that I didn't care for in the first book and I didn't care for that character now is Baker.  I found him to be whiny and pretentious and I don't like how he's uprooting him and his young son to be close to a girl who doesn't seem to be super interested in him? (Though I'm happy that Cash seemed to have found someone).

That's my only complaint!

I would definitely recommend this book and for that.... 5 coffee beans out of 5! :) 

- Jillian

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella - Reshelved Books

Hi Dewey Readers!

Are you looking for a funny and quick paced read? If so, look no further than I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. 

Poppy is engaged, and the ring her fiance proposed with is an exquisite family heirloom, an emerald ring worth a fortune.  Poppy can't really believe it.  Not only does she get to wear a beautiful ring but she's also marrying the man of her dreams.  But then a terrible, terrible thing happens.  Poppy loses the ring, and shortly after her cell phone is stolen. Now she won't be able to get any phone calls should someone magically find her ring.  

The now ringless Poppy is supposed to meet her fiance's parents within a couple of hours, she can't let them see her hands, and she has no phone- until she finds one in a garbage can that belongs to a personal assistant of a business man who quit her job and tossed the phone away.  Poppy did what anyone else would do- she picked up the phone, gave the new number out as her own, and proceeds to carry on with her life intervening as a PA, while hiding her ring-less hand. Oh and as if that weren't enough, Poppy also just learned that her fiancé's parents were not happy to find out they were engaged.

Complete with witty footnotes and outrageous humor, Kinsella's novel is the perfect chick-lit read worth 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans!

Until the next read!
~Jessica

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Nome-o Seeks Juliet by Katy Regnery- Reshelved Books

Nome-o Seeks Juliet (An Odds-Are-Good Standalone Romance Book 2) by [Regnery, Katy]
Thank you to Amzaon for the cover art.

Hi hi everyone. 

I'm back! 

This time, I have a review on Katy Regnery's newest book Nome-o Seeks Juliet (this is book #2 in the An Odds- Are-Good Standalone series). Just like before, this book was sent to us in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

As some of you may be aware, I reviewed the first book, Single in Sitka last month (you can find that review here).  This series are standalones which all take place in different parts of Alaska but it seems that all of the men we're meeting have ads posted in the fictional The Odds Are Good periodical (after typing that out, I understand *why* this is the Odd-Are-Good series...).  This time, we're leaving Sitka and we're traveling to Nome. 
I didn't think it was possible to love two characters in a book more.  I really didn't.  But it happened.
I also thought that I really liked Single in Sitka... But I gotta say Nome-o Seeks Juliet is just a thousand times better to me!

When I first started reading this book, I felt like it bore striking resemblance to the first book in the series. I got serious vibes that Juliet was a little like Amanda and that Silvia was a little like Leigh.  Which had me feeling like I had been doped...

I am happy to say that I was wrong.  

Juliet is a 24 year old vet student.  She won a grant for her fellowship and sadly, she was about to have to give her grant up due to lack of a mentor.  Silvia found what she thought to be a way for Juliet to keep her funding for her fellowship: a classified ad looking for a female musher for a co-ed dog sledding team; a "Juliet". 

Though, I can't say that I blame Juliet's character for being leery toward this "classified ad" - it did seem to be too good to be true.  However, the title of the ad was totally adorable!

One thing that I wasn't expecting when I started this book, was for there to be a student/professor relationship.  You know, those types of things that could get someone jammed up.  

Making a split second decision, Juliet decides that she IS going to Alaska!  That she will be able to keep the funding for her fellowship because she IS going to be mushing with this Nome-o!  This means that she'll have to answer his ad and hope for the best. 

Juliet arrives in Nome and meets a very attractive man named Cody.  Cody happens to be 10 years her senior,  retired from the Military and an amateur musher.

As the reader, we learn that Cody looks like a young Brad Pitt but Cody doesn't feel like he looks like Brad Pitt.  During his tour, Cody suffered a devastating injury and lost 5 of his fingers, leaving him with a severe injury and an honorable discharge from the service. 

I don't think I've ever felt more compassion from a character before EVER.  It was very easy to fall in love with Cody's character.  He was strong, yet sensitive and I commend Juliet's character for waiting so long. 

I felt like this story moved a little faster than the book in the series but that's okay!  (Heck, that’s even something that Juliet felt).  There was something so genuine about their relationship. It had factor to it that made it believable. 

What will happen between Juliet and Cody, you ask?  I don't know.  Y'all are just going to hope onto the great interwebs, snag a copy and find out for yourself!

I give this book 10 coffee beans out of 5!  Realistically, it gets 5 coffee beans out of 5. 

~ Jillian

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Floating in the Neversink: A Novel-In-Stories by Andrea Simon- Reshleved Books

Hi all!


We were asked to be part of the book tour for Andrea Simon's new book Floating the NeversinkAs part of this review, we will be giving away a copy of Floating in the Neversink!  Check out our IG post for more information on that. 

Floating in the Neversink tells the story of Amanda "Mandy" Gerber over the course of 6 years.  The reader is introduced to Amanda at the tender age of 9.  She's leaving Brooklyn with her family, to spend the summer away at her grandmother's summer house in upstate New York. 

Pay no mind to this book being a thinner. It's able to pack a huge punch and boy, it does! This book is told in an interesting way; each chapter is it's own story.  I found this to be a fun take on the telling of a story.  

 The book also flips between Mandy's time spent in Brooklyn and her time spent in the Catskills.

The way that Simon writes allows for you as the reader to feel Mandy's emotions. Which, is something I find not all authors can do.  The book tells the pivotal stories of Mandy's life and which each story, you can get a sense of what she's feeling. 
Not only was Simon able to make you feel such strong emotions, but she was also able to paint intense imagery.  Reading each story made you feel like you were there, next to Mandy as everything unfolded. 

Simon doesn't shy away from much when she's telling Mandy's story either.  As the reader, you get to see the struggles that Mandy faces with her friendships and at home.  (Mandy's character went through some uncomfortable scenarios going up)

I really enjoyed Floating in the Neversink.  If you're looking for a good book to cozy up with, I would definitely recommend this one. 

I give this book 4 coffee beans out of 5.  

~ Jillian

Thursday, October 17, 2019

New Release or Older Books?

Hey guys.

I have a question for everyone. 

Are you more apt to grab a book that's been out for a while? 
Or are you going to run out and grab a new release? 

Jessica has long been a fan of Colleen Hoover and I thought about picking up one of her books.  Why not, right? 

At the same time, I thought it would be fun to throw the question out there. 

~ Jillian

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

10 Blind Dates by Ashely Elston- Reshelved Books

To quote The Bubble Guppies "What time is it?" It's time for a new review!

For some reason that is a little lost on me, holiday themed books come out in October... The library has been getting these holiday books this month and when I went to Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago, I was seeing them as new releases. 
Link to cover

10 Blind Dates is a fun and quirky YA book that is centered around the holidays!  The title wouldn't make you think about that but the cover art definitely does (once you notice the little ball of mistletoe).   This book also came out this month.  

Elston definitely was channeling quirkiness when she wrote this book.  Sophie is 17 years old, she's a high school senior, she's able to become an aunt!  She also is about to spend the next 2 weeks of her holiday break with her family three hours away.   Keep in mind, that this is family that Sophie feels she's grown away from in recent years.  As a result, Sophie decided that she wasn't going to stay with her family for as long.  She decided that she was going to stay home and then this way, she would be ale to spend time with Griffin, her boyfriend.

The night that her parents leave, is the night that Sophie decided she's going to tell Griffin the good news.  Sophie goes to a party to see and talk to Griffin when she overhears that Griffin doesn't find her to be fun anymore and that maybe, they should go on a break. 

WELL. 

Sophie gets upset and leaves the party.  Totally understandable! 

Now, this is where the quirkiness comes in.  After arriving at her grandparents house and telling Nonna what had happened and then sleeping on it for a night, Sophie wakes up to a surprise.  Nonna is going to set Sophie up on 2 weeks worth of dates!  Which would be a date every day that Sophie was there.  Different family members would set Sophie up a different dates with different boys. 

Think of it as speed dating. 

The idea is that all of these dates are going to help Sophie get over Griffin.

Will they work? Well.  You're just going to have to see for yourself! 

I'm going to give this book 4 coffee beans out of 5. 

~ Jillian

Saturday, October 12, 2019

After We Break by Katy Regnery- Reshelved Books

Hellooooooo!!

Sorry, I've been MIA for a while.  Life sort of has a way of sneaking in on us when we least expect it. Plus most titles I had read of late, didn't do anything for me.  I thought that most of them were blah. 
After We Break: a love story by [Regnery, Katy]

Have no fear though as I have found books that I liked and those are the ones that I have been reading. 

Case and point: After We Break by Katy Regnery.

It's no secret that I enjoy the books that Regnery writes. 
I snagged a copy of this read in hopes of reviewing it. 

I found this book to be a quick read.  Now, this might be because I read it as an E-book.

This story was a complicated one.  Violet and Zach are now in their late 20s.  They graduated from college, Violet went to Yale and Zach went to Julliard.  
Violet on to write a popular novel and Zach is writing chart topping hits for bands.  
In a bizarre turn of events, Violet and Zach find themselves with each other. 

As the reader, we get to see how Violet and Z (or Vile and Z) heal and move forward. 

There was certainly a fair share of drama in this book.  There was a lot that was going on, not necessarily just between the two.  Zach's life was very involved, we got to see how his career played out (more so than Violet's career as an author). 

What was cool, was that the reader got to see how the two of them worked together to write a few songs. 


This book for me was blah.  Which is hard for me to say given that I really like Katy Regnery's books! 

I found Violet to be a bit difficult and not so easy to forgive Zach.  It wasn't like he cheated on her or anything.  He just didn't handle the situation well and really, you can't fault a 18-19 year old guy for that.  
Even after she learned of his background story, she was still a little hesitant to forgive.

For me, After We Break was a kind of a dud...

I sadly am giving it 3.5 coffee beans out of 5...

~ Jillian


Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Single in Sitka by Katy Regnery - Reshelved Books

Raise your hand if you're ready for a new review!
Raise your other hand if you're ready for a new review on a book that's newly released!


Single in Sitka (An Odds-Are-Good Standalone Romance Book 1) by [Regnery, Katy]
Now wave those arms if you're ready to read about Katy Regnery's new book Single in Sitka!!

Single in Sitka is the first book in her Odds-Are-Good Romance series.  It seems that all of the books that are in this series, will be standalone books.  The common theme, from what I've gathered based on the cover art and the titles, would be that these books all take place in Alaska. 

Singe in Sitka was featured in the anthology One Hot Summer (You can find my review of that book here).  Which is how I got to read the first 10 chapters of the book.  My plan was to buy the book when it came out earlier this week.  Lucky for me! I was able to snag a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

It's no secret that I've enjoyed every one of the Katy Regnery books that I have read to date.  (I actually am working on a review of After We Break).

As I digress. 

Single in Sitka tells the story of Alaskan State Trooper Luke Kingston and Seattle Sentinel columnist Amanda McKendrick.  Amanda has just broken up with her long term boyfriend, Bryce and Luke tragically lost his wife, Wendy, in an accident a couple years prior.  Amanda found Luke's dating profile in a singles website.  In a bold move, Amanda and her best friend Leigh, decide that Amanda needs to go to Sitka, Alaska to meet with Luke. 

Little does she know that this meet up is going to change her life forever.  But maybe the change will be in a good way. 

What I liked about this book was that it was more than just romance.  There was another part to this story.  Luke is a widower and he has 3 children; who are between the ages of 13 and 5.

Regnery makes sure to tell a story that is more than just being about Amanda and Luke; it's a story that brings to light her relationship with Chad and Gillian and Meghan.  I liked this and felt like it was an important thing.

I honestly enjoyed this book.  I'm excited to see what of this series holds. 

My rating: 5 coffee beans out of 5. 

~ Jillian





Monday, October 7, 2019

Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

About two years ago a co-worker suggested that I read Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown.  It took me this long to finally pick it up, but I'm so glad I finally did.  Mustaches for Maddie is based off what Chad and Shelly's daughter had gone through when faced with a health crisis at a young age.  

A bit about the book.  Maddie is your average twelve year old girl.  She loves to use her
imagination, she has a decent group of friends, and she has a loving family, but lately Maddie has been holding her arm funny.  It is not enough to really bother Maddie, but it is happening enough so that other people are starting to notice it.  When Maddie's mom questions why she's holding her arm oddly, she decides to call the doctor who sends her for testing right away.  They soon learn that Maddie has a brain tumor.  

This book is in line with books like Wonder, and is also a theme that a lot of y.a. and middle grade books are leaning towards- books about illness.  It tackles not only the fear of the illness and of dying itself, but also the struggle of friendship, of fitting in, and of worrying what others will think when they're told.  Ultimately, it's a moving and heartfelt read that I did not want to put down. I recommend this to book to all ages middle grade through adult and give it a For the Love of Dewey rating of 5 out of 5 coffee beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica  

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Rumor by Lesly Kara

Hi Dewey Readers!

What would you do if a suspected murderer lived on your street? In Lesly Kara's novel, The Rumor, a mother named Joanna is forced to face that question head on.  Joanna moved back to her quiet seaside hometown after her son was being bullied at his old school in the city.  The move is little bit farther from her son's father but it isn't all bad, Joanna now has the help of her own mother.  


But then a small rumor sparks.  Someone who was convicted of stabbing a boy, when they were a child them self, may be living in their tiny neighborhood under a different name.  But who is it?  As the rumor spreads, partially at the fault of Joanna, everyone becomes a suspect, the innocent become the scapegoats, and no one is really safe... even within their own families.  

I read this book in ONE DAY.  I could not put it down!  It is an excellent fall thriller to sit on the porch with at night.  I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans

Until the next read!
~Jessica   

Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez- Reshelved Books


Maybe it's just me but I always have a hard time writing a review about a book that I didn't like.  I feel bad for putting it out there that I just didn't like a book.  I don't want to offend the author and anyone who's reading here who may have liked the book.  I can only imagine how much time it takes to write the book, to look for a publisher, etc.


I'm just going to come out and say this right now: This book was too much. 

And for that... I didn't like it. Side note: I know that I get stuck in these funks where all I read are books that I find to be less the stellar. 

In The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez focuses on two characters: Kristen and Josh.  
Kristen: 24 year old, owner of her own business, is about to have a major life changing surgery.  The outcome of this surgery is what's preventing her from getting attached to Josh.  Kristen is currently dating Tyler, who is finishing up his tour overseas. 
Josh: 29 year old, former Marine, current firefighter/paramedic.  Josh moved to California from South Dakota after a bad breakup. (Josh also believes that Kristen is his "unicorn" - he wants to be with her and he will do anything to show her that they are worth the risk.)


Image result for the friend zone by abby jimenez
Book Cover Link Here
Josh and Kristen both happen to be in the same wedding: Kristen is Sloan's maid of honor and Josh is Brandon's best man.  


As any good rom-com story would go; Kristen and Josh have a chance encounter before officially meeting one another.  (Apparently, you can go X amount of time as someone's best friend and never ever meet their finance's best friend).

Kristen was driving Brandon's new truck, when she slipped her coffee and stopped short.  Josh was driving behind her and he happened to be looking at his phone and when Kristen stopped; Josh didn't react in enough time and he ended up tapping his truck against the back of the one that she was driving.

Logically (I say this lightly), this is Josh's fault and he offers to help clean up the mess and offers Kristen his shirt.  Since this is a book, Kristen uses her shirt to clean up the mess (as it was already stained) and then she goes and changes into Josh's shirt. 

It wasn't until Josh arrived at the fire station, did he realize that he hit Brandon's truck while Kristen was driving it!

For the sake of speeding things along... 

Kristen ends up hiring Josh to be her carpenter for her business.  'Cause you know, Josh conveniently had a woodworking hobby on the side.

During this time, they get closer to one another but after multiple conversations with Josh, Kristen learns that he dreams of settling down and having a big family.  Part of the reason *why* Josh broke up with his ex-girlfriend and left South Dakota was because she didn't want to have children. 

Kristen knows that she could never give Josh what she wants (or so she believes).  But sometimes, love is such a strong emotion and force, that it needs up conquering all.

Kristen's health and her surgery are big part of the book.  That was something that I didn't have a problem with.  How she felt about that and how that influenced what she did with Josh. (I actually liked that part about the book. I thought it was important that she covered topic like that and the fears that along aside it!)

My problem was all of the added stuff that didn't seem to be important!

This next part is going to contain a spoiler, so advert your eyes! If you so choose...

Brandon and Sloan are the reason why Josh and Kristen were brought together.  Okay. But what didn't need to happen was killing OFF Brandon! That came out of left field for me and I didn't really think that it was needed.

Another thing that I couldn't really stand was Kristen's attitude toward *everything*.  She wasn't a very wholesome, nice person.  I know not every character in every book is going to be sugary and sweet; that's not what I'm saying.  The issue that I had with her character was that she's a cynical, crass and nasty person. 

This book does have high ratings on Goodreads.  Sadly, it's not going to get more than 2.5 coffee beans from me. 

~ Jillian